


Showmanship

by TheLadyMagician



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Biting, Competition, Dorian and Cullen are ridiculous, Fake Proposal, Lying ends in sex, M/M, Modern AU, Rough Sex, Singer AU, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 20:15:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4276518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyMagician/pseuds/TheLadyMagician
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen really didn't want to go to this ridiculous pop concert, but he might as well make the most of it. </p>
<p>Based on the prompt: Cullrian Modern AU: Dorian is a popstar singing his last concert on his tour while Cullen and a friend is in the audience, the friend has a sign that says 'Marry me?' on it but has to go to the bathroom so Cullen has to hold it, but Dorian saw him and the sign, had the spotlights shine on him and said yes. ++Cullen never heard of Dorian before this +++Cullen goes with it + The Friend is the Inquisitor (gender your choice!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Showmanship

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt that got away from me. I love the idea of Cullen and Dorian being incredibly competitive with one another, so it will continue on for two more chapters.

There was going to be the biggest reckoning in Lavellan’s future if Cullen had anything to say about it. He isn’t sure how he managed to be dragged to this concert but there he is, surrounded by women as they shriek for this admittedly attractive Dorian Pavus.  
  
The music the man plays is a bit too…pop-y for Cullen’s taste. Sure, it’s upbeat and the guy can play the hell out of a piano, it was just not to Cullen’s taste. But Lavellan had focused her sad eyes on him earlier that day and wailed about how Josephine was too sick to go with her to the concert and she needed someone to go with her. A friend. And they were friends, weren’t they, Cullen? Best friends?  
  
Ugh, Cullen gets irritated just thinking about how well Lavellan played him into attending this concert.  
  
The only solace Cullen takes is that he’s getting wonderful blackmail on his boss. Lavellan is screaming and shouting along with the rest of the women. She has a large posterboard with the words ‘MARRY ME’ written in bold multicolored letters that she raises any time the Tevinter singer looks in their general direction. She had a pretty good chance of being noticed considering they were in the third row, but Dorian Pavus probably saw eighty of those same exact signs every night. Considering this was his last show, Cullen is sure he probably has a million in his tour bus.  
  
The chords of a new song ring out and Lavellan hands him her ridiculous sign. “Hold this, I need to pee.”  
  
Cullen takes the sign without looking up from his cell. “You’ll miss the song.”  
  
“No one likes ballads,” is all Lavellan says before she marches away. Cullen switches the poster around so it’s in his less dominant hand and moves his phone around so he could continue to play his strategy game.  
  
Idiot Templars thought they could just attack his stronghold without paying with their lives. Even if they did team up with the mages, Cullen has this game well in hand. That is, until the game decides to cheat and sends in a damn dragon.  
  
Of course they have a dragon.  
  
Cullen is forced to retreat through a tunnel a Chantry cleric told him about three levels ago. He presses the button to begin moving his pieces when light erupts around him. He clenches his eyes shut at the sudden bombardment of light, before reopening them and trying to figure out what prompted the foul light.  
  
He glances around the stage and finally spots the giant television behind the Tevinter man and sees…himself. He’s on the big screen and he’s holding that damn sign that says ‘MARRY ME’ for everyone to see.  
  
Dorian Pavus had stepped closer to Cullen and Lavellan’s seats and is grinning widely at Cullen who for all intents and purposes looks like he’s a ridiculous fan who wants to marry the singer.  
  
_Oh no. Oh no no no no no no._  
  
“I must say, I’ve never been propositioned by such a handsome man,” Dorian says with a smirk towards Cullen who keeps waving his hands in front of him in an attempt to explain the misunderstanding. “What do you think, ladies? Should I take him up on the offer?”  
  
The crowd roars over Cullen’s cries of “No, no, no, no!” He hides the sign but the spotlight is already on him and the women around start pushing him up towards the stage. Dorian leans down and holds out his hand for Cullen which the Ferelden again tries to wave away.  
  
“It’s not- I’m not- I’m just holding it!” Cullen isn’t sure where he words have fled to, but they’re not in his brain.  
  
“And he’s bashful too! Shall we help him find his courage?” Dorian calls to the crowd who begin to chant the word 'Go.’  
  
With a sigh, Cullen resigns himself to his fate. At least the singer isn’t bad to look at. Cullen grasps Dorian’s hand and gets pulled onto the stage using only barest of footholds. The singer must be hiding some muscle beneath that ridiculous mage’s robe that was more buckles than fabric.  
  
“Look at you! Blond hair, golden eyes, and a physique that must keep you in the gym all hours of the night,” Dorian says as he walks around Cullen who is awkwardly waving to the crowd. “How in Andraste’s name are you still single? I know any number of these men and women would pick you up in a heartbeat!” Dorian shouts and again raises the crowd in an uproar. “What’s your name, handsome?”  
  
“Cullen,” he replies with a deadpan stare towards the Tevinter. It’s a terrible way to pick up any man, calling him handsome. Though Cullen supposes he did proposition the man with a posterboard and some sharpie-d letters.  
  
“Cullen,” Dorian parrots as he steps in front of Cullen, eyes glittering. “Were you sincere in your proposal?” It’s the first time Cullen really considers that this was a bad idea. First, the singer is incredibly attractive. Second, the singer is incredibly attractive and stalks around Cullen like a serpent coiling around its prey. Third, Cullen isn’t exactly straight but he does prefer women more and hadn’t flirted with a man in nearly a decade.  
  
Lastly, Dorian looks like he’s enjoying this way too much. Like he knows that the sign wasn’t Cullen’s and he was just holding it for a friend. But let’s bring Cullen up on stage and embarrass him in front of thousands of people.  
  
Well, two could play that game.  
  
“I am,” Cullen replies with a smile, raising an eyebrow at the man and just daring him to stop this charade now. The Tevinter man narrows his eyes and cocks his head at Cullen's lie. “If you’ll have me, that is.” There’s a high-pitched sound of thousands of women screaming at the men’s interaction, but Cullen ignores it decently.  
  
Dorian glares at Cullen for a split second before turning to face the crowd, clutching his heart. “And a gentleman! Now what should I say, my dear audience?” It doesn't take long before there are chants of 'yes’ echoing through the pavilion. “Alright, I’ll say yes on one condition. I’m not about to get married to this darling Ferelden without him proposing properly. On your knee and a ring, like all good Southerners.”  
  
Dorian smirks at Cullen and mimics Cullen's earlier eyebrow raise. Cullen isn’t quite sure when this had become a game of one-upping the other, but it isn’t like he’s just going to let this popstar beat him in his hometown. But that presents a problem….  
  
“I didn’t bring a ring,” Cullen says with a disgruntled sigh. So the pompous Tevinter was actually going to win.  
  
“Didn’t bring a ring?!" Dorian cries, "I thought you said you were serious?” The stupid smirk on that ridiculously handsome face with that ridiculously well groomed and perfect moustache was making Cullen want to punch a man in front of thousands of people. “Alas, if you weren’t serious-”  
  
“But you can have mine,” Cullen says in a fit of inspiration and he yanks the Templar Order ring from his finger. It’s just the perfect amount of sacrilege to truly leave the Order behind, he thinks. Putting his Order ring on a Tevinter mage’s finger in a mock proposal. He bends down on one knee and pulls the man’s left hand into both of his, smiling at the now glaring Dorian. “Dorian Pavus, will you marry me?”  
  
The cheer of the crowd is nearly deafening but all Cullen can see is the face of a mage who knows he’s lost the upper hand. And it's glorious. That ridiculous moustache twitches as Dorian attempts to hid a snarl and the mage's gray eyes promise some form of payback. “I accept your proposal, Cullen,” Dorian says, lips forming around Cullen’s name like a desire demon’s would.  
  
Cullen slides the ring onto Dorian’s finger, kissing the back of his hand for good measure. If they were going to act like this was anything, then at the very least Cullen would make it look good. Serves Ser Pavus right, thinking he could one-up Cullen.  
  
Dorian yanks Cullen to his feet and in a smooth motion, crushes his lips against Cullen’s. There’s cheering, Cullen’s sure of it, but he can barely hear it as he winds his arms around his faux-fiance and devours him for all he’s worth. As luck would have it, Dorian is an excellent kisser. Just enough tongue and pressure and oh, it was probably the best kiss Cullen can remember and he melts into it, only vaguely aware that he’s groaning into a microphone in front of a screaming crowd of tens of thousands.  
  
With a vicious bite to his lower lip, Dorian pulls away from Cullen. Dorian’s pupils are blown wide, swallowing the magnificent gray color, and the mage is panting just as hard as Cullen is. He stares at Cullen a few moments longer before turning to the crowd and lifting their hands together. Their fingers entwined around each other at some point during the kiss but Cullen doesn’t remember when.  
  
“Ladies and gentlemen, my fiance!” Dorian shouts to the masses.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Smut to come in the next chapter, I promise :D 
> 
> This prompt was originally posted on Tumblr that I moved to here so I could continue on with it to practice writing smut. (Which I am not good at, so I need to practice :D)
> 
> As always, you can find me on [tumblr](the-lady-magician.tumblr.com) where I take prompts and repost all the Dragon Age things. 
> 
> Please note that in July a group of Cullrian writers are asking for prompts so we can write a lot of Cullrian things! Please also check that out on my tumblr on the ["Cullrian Prompt Saturday Participants"](http://the-lady-magician.tumblr.com/tagged/Cullrian%20Prompt%20Saturday%20Participants) button. So if you want to prompt any of us or join us, feel free!!


End file.
